St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-23
STANDARD OIL.
The Inquiry Into Its Workings by
the Interstate Commission.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.--Howard
Page. who is connected with the man
agement of the Standard Oil company of
Kentucky. was examined in connection
with the standard oil cases before the
interstate commerce commission this
morning. He was cOmplainantS' wit
ness. He stated that no drawbacks OF
rebates of any kind were allowed the
Standard Oil company by the railroads
south of the Ohio. and that the rates
paid are the published rates given to
everybody. The Shipm ents were made
in tank ears. III barrels and i'll cases.
The railroads did and could we'll afford
to carry oil in tank cars cheaper than
by any other method. When oil was
shipped in tank cars the car was the
unit upon which rates were given; for
example. the rate for hauling one tank
car from Louisville to Memphis was S75.
The average capacity of the tank cars of
the Standard Oil company of Kentucky
was 4.057 gallons, equal to Seventy-eight
barrels of fifty-twO gallons each. The
Kentucky Standard Oil company pur-
chased oil of the Standard Oil company
of Ohio. of the Camden Consolidated Oil
company, of ParkerSburg. w. Va, and
of the Baltimore United Oil company,
and sold oil in all parts of the territory
south of the Ohio and east of the MisSis-
sippl. Witness company had its own
establishments, comprising tanks, pipes,
etc, at various central points in the
South.
l.. II. Severance, treasurer of the
Standard Oil company, of Ohio. was
sworn. and produced certain infOrma-
ton. copies from the records of the
company respecting the
CAPACITIES OF THE TANK CARS
of his company. j. NJ. Cup, general
freight agent of the Louisville & Nash
vile Railroad company, was examined
at great length about the operations
and the rates of his company. During
the progress of the examination witness
said. i'll reply TO Commissioner Walker,
that his company was governed by the
published claSSificatiOnS of the South
ern Railway & Steamship company. He
also said that for the transportation of
oil. except for a period of few weeks
subsequent to April, ii had always
charged car rates upon oil in tanks.
The commissioner called attention TO a
declaration on the pamphlet publica-
ton of the association, that oil in tank
cars shall be charged also so much per
hundred pounds. Witness admitted
that his company did not in that respect
comply with the published classification.
The chairman questioned the witness
a to how he claimed compliance
with the law which requires the publ
cation of rates. Witness said the special
car rates were, or ought to be, posted in
the stations of the company, printed by
a typewriter This he held to be suf-
ficient notice to the public. There was
nothing, so far as witness knew. to pre-
vent the making of a cheaper rate than
that published whenever a shipper
called for rate, simply by having the
new rate printed on typewriter and
posted in the station. In reply to cOun-
sci for the complainant. witness said the
only rate on oil in barrels from Louis
vile to Huntsville, Ala. since April )
was 2915 cents per 100 pounds. No
other rate had been given to anybody.
Counsel produced letter, the signature
of which witness recognized as that of a
clerk in his office. which letter was to
Mr.. George Rice, (the complainant Civ
ing the rate from Louisville to Hunts
vile at 80 cents 100 pounds. Witness
explained this on the theory that the
letter was probably written by a Stenog-
rapher who had made an error. COun-
sci thereupOn produced letter bearing
witness own signature, addressed to
COIii pldludllls olollnS liIut OliC ldlCo
given to claimant were as low
as those given to anyone, and
that the company would give no
other. Witness said that was written
under the impression that the rates
originally given Mr.. Rice were correct.
Counsel asked how that could lie since
the second letter was written in reply
to one from complainant quoting the
81 cent rate and asking if no better
terms could be given and if other
shippers were not given more favorable
rates. Witness replied as before, add
ing that he did not at the time know the
rates. and not doubling that they had
been given correctly, he did not examine
them. Witness on croSS-eXamination
by the railroad counsel, explained
tile principle which govern the
making of oil rates, and gave testi-
mony tending to Justify the discrimina-
ton between barrel and tank rates.
Witness had not concluded his testi-
mony when the commission at p. m.
adjourned.